3 Takeaways From Mizzou's Road Loss to LSU

Instant thoughts from another ugly Missouri road loss, this time to the LSU Tigers.

Jan 7, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Jayden Stone (17) shoots a free throw during the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The Missouri Tigers struggled on the road against LSU, resulting in a 78-70 loss on the road. This was LSU's first win in the SEC, while Missouri dropped to 13-5 and 3-2 in conference play.

A slow start for Missouri hindered their first half, not scoring until around the six-minute mark of the game. The start of the game set Missouri back for the remainder of its time in Baton Rouge, making a comeback very challenging. A combination of poor shooting and high-intensity defense from the home team made that the case. 

LSU was also extremely efficient on offense. It shot better from the three-point line and the field, giving itself a clear offensive advantage. It also forced more turnovers and took advantage of opportunities late in the game to fend off a Missouri run. 

Dennis Gates’ team did make it closer down the stretch, but LSU did an excellent job of getting some stops and making shots to make sure it didn’t get too close. Missouri did close the gap to five points, but never got it any closer than that. 

Here are three takeaways from Missouri’s loss on the road to LSU.

A brutally slow start

This one doesn’t take rocket science to recognize. Missouri scored only 27 points in the first half, the first of which came at the 14:18 mark. Not only that, but Missouri shot 33.3% from the field and 22.2% from the three-point line in that half. 

This slow was harmful to Missouri’s chance for a lot of reasons. LSU went on a 10-0 run to open the game, which came from a combination of physical defense and good closeouts, along with simple shot-making. Forward Marquel Sutton, who finished with 26 points, and Max MacKinnon, who finished with 20 points, were the main proprietors of the early run. 

Sutton was hard to stop for all of the first half, despite cooling off in the second. He scored 19 of his 26 in the first half, doing so in many different phases. He was aggressive with all of his defensive matchups while also stepping outside to hit some triples.

It’s always going to be hard to win games when you get out of the gate as slow as Missouri did. Doing so while going down 10-0 to start the game is even harder. If anything, this needs to be a good learning experience for Missouri on what not to do to start games in league play.

Missouri loses the turnover battle

The turnover battle did not go in favor of Missouri and it was clear from the get-go that it was going to be a problem. Missouri finished with 12 turnovers, committing eight in the first half, compared to LSU’s seven. 

LSU scored only 11 points off turnovers compared to Missouri’s seven. Those may not jump out to anyone, but the turnovers that LSU did secure over Missouri were difference makers. LSU's defense also forced turnovers on some of Missouri's best, including Anthony Robinson II and T.O. Barrett.

Barrett finished with five turnovers, while Robinson finished with three. Despite a solid outing from Barrett, who took over for Robinson in the second half, LSU's defense was able to speed him up and force him into poor decisions.

Robinson was making bad passes when he was in the game, and also getting sped up in important moments. Two of his three turnovers came in the first half and he hardly played in the second.

Missouri's inability to force turnovers also came back to bite it. The lack of takeaways and points scored off of them was a catalyst in the game for LSU and will continue to be if Missouri struggles in this department.

Trent Pierce and Jayden Stone need more shots

An argument could be made that Stone and Pierce could be the focal point of the Missouri offense. Since their returns, Stone and Pierce have been the primary offensive forces, along with the very consistent presence of Mark Mitchell.

This time around, Stone finished with 20 points on 7-for-14 shooting, while Pierce finished with nine points on 3-for-4 shooting.

Pierce has shot lights out since his return and did so again tonight. He's going to need to take more than four shots for Missouri to win more games, however, even if that means his efficiency would decrease. He's shooting 43.5% from three so far, not including his performance against LSU. That would tie him for the second-best on the team, behind Jacob Crews and tied with Stone.

Stone has emerged as one of the best offensive players on the team, getting it done from the perimeter and in the paint. He does it all within Gates' offense, which makes it even better. 14 shots are more than enough for him to get his and help Missouri's offense, but there will never be any harm caused with him being more involved and taking more.

Regardless of win or loss, it can't be understated how important the returns of Pierce and Stone have been. Even with two losses in conference play, both players clearly raised the ceiling of the Missouri offense, as they did against LSU. Their production just can't fall off at any point, and if it does, it will likely show up in the loss column.

Missouri’s next matchup is at home against the Georgia Bulldogs at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20.